Sliding closure hopper outlet construction for railway cars



Sept. 25, 1962 G'. B. DoREY 3,055,35

SLIDING ULO-SURE HOPPER OU'ILE'I." CONSTRUCTION FOR RAILWAY CARS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 30, 1959 G. B. DORA-:Y 3,055,315 SLIDING CLOSURE HOPPER OUTLET CONSTRUCTION FOR RAILWAY CARS Sept. 25, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June` 30, 1959 Sept. 25, `1962 G B DQREY 3,055,312?,

SLIDING CLOSURE HOPER OUTLET CONSTRUCTION FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed June 30, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 i Q -f /l Q INVENToR.

j Q BY Geoigeory,

Sept. 2.5, 1962 G. B. DOREY 3,055,315 Y SLTDTNG cLosuRE HOPPER OUTLET CONSTRUCTION Filed Juneo, 1959 FOR RAILWAY CARS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

United States Patent Office Patented Sept. 25, 1962 3,055,315 SLIDING CILSURE BUFFER @UTLEI CGNSTRUC- 'HUN FR RAILWAY CARS (George B. Dorey, Westmount, Quebec, Canada, assigner to Enterprise Railway Equipment Company, Chicago,

Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed .inne 30, 1959, Ser. No. 823,390 3 Claims. (Ci. liti-253) This invention relates to an improved outlet assembly for the discharge opening of a load containing hopper such as employed in railway hopper cars and the like for handling iinely comminuted commodities such as cement, lime and other similar lading.

In hoppers of the identified type it is a commonly accepted practice to move the sliding discharge gates by means of rotatable shafts journaled in xed bearings and such shafts and bearings with their associated mechanisms sometimes present diiliculties in operation due to clogging by hardened cement or other lading. The present invention contemplates an arrangement designed to overcome the limitations arising from clogging by providing mechanism which is loosely mounted and still positive in operation.

The objects of the invention are: To provide a means of operation employing a loosely mounted bodily movable shaft interconnected with the gate by linkage; to provide for operation of a gate linkage connected to the gate linkage connected to the gate and to a gate supporting structure and to move the gate by angular movement of the linkage; to provide shaft and linkage mechanism for moving a sliding gate `wherein the direction of force between the linkage and gate is exerted at a favorable angle of pull especially when moving the gate to open position; to provide improved means for automatically locking an operating shaft to maintain a gate in closed position; and more specifically to provide a mechanism employing a bodily movable shaft having arms oppositely extending with non-rotatably mounted arms thereon which are pivotally connected with sets of links respectively connected to the gate and its supporting structure.

The invention further resides in certain details of structure concerned with the improvement and in the manner in which the desired results are obtained.

For further comprehension of the invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawings wherein the improvement is shown as applied to a railway hopper car.

ln said drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a transverse vertical sectional View `taken through the lower part of a hopper and showing approximately one half the width of the car with the improved outlet assembly applied thereto.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational longitudinal view of the outlet assembly shown in FIGURE 1 with the shaft operating socket eliminated to better illustrate the construction.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the outlet assembly shown in FIGURE 2 with the hopper walls eliminated and certain parts broken away to betterillustrate the structure.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on a line 4 4 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a View similar to FIGURE 4 except that the gate is shown in partially opened position.

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURES 4 and 5 except that the gate is shown in fully opened position.

FIGURE 7 is a fractional side elevational view of the outer end of the assembly and the shaft in relation to the structure with the locking dog in released position and showing the position of the mechanism as contact is established With the dog.

In said drawings the car structure proper is indicated by a center sill 10 and side Wall 11 overlying an L-shaped side frame member 11 and interposed between said center sill and side wall is a four sided hopper 12. Actually the hoppers are arranged in pairs to be on each side of the center sill l@ in transversely aligned relation but inasmuch as the construction of the individual hoppers of 4the pair is identical, the description herein will be confined to only one such hopper. The hopper 12 includes inner and outer side walls T13 and I4 which meet with oppositely sloping walls 15 and 16 to form the four sides of the hopper leading to a discharge opening 17.

The opening 17 is closed by a sliding gate 18 which is movable to open position beyond the opening and is supported by a frame generally indicated at 19. The frame i9 is preferably formed by inner and outer longitudinal members as at 2@ and 21 which are united by transversely extending members 22, 23 and 24 and welded together to form an integrated structure. The members Ztl and 21, which are extended to project beyond the hopper opening 17 for supporting the gate 18 in open position, include wall portions overlying the inner and outer walls 13 and 14 as indicated at 25 for member 2th and at 26 for member 2l. The said members 25 and 26 have inwardly extending flanges 27-27 at their ends away from the discharge opening 17 to form supports on which the gate 13 slides to and from open position. The transversely extending member 22, which is located adjacent the leading end of the gate 18 when in closed position, includes an inclined upper section 28 which underlies the end sloping wall I5 and a downwardly extending section 29 to which is attached a ledge 36 for an end support for the gate. The transversely extending member 24 is located beneath the gate 1S and includes an upper wall 3l which underlies the gate 18.

The upper wall 31 is separated from the lower marginal edge 32 of the upper member 23 a sufficient distance to constitute a slotted opening 33 through which the ygate 1S extends. longitudinally extending ledges 34 and 35 are secured to the inner faces of the respective side members Zti and 2li to join with the inwardly projecting upper flanges 27-27 and form therewith continuous runways for supporting the gate 18 throughout its range of movement. The flanges 27-27 and ledges 34 and 35 are preferably inclined to slope upwardly from the leading end to the trailing end of the gate 1S.

The upper transverse wall 23 is reinforced by an angle shaped member 36 having one wall 37 lying against the undersurface of the frame member 23 and having the other wall 38 extending forwardly to overlie the projecting end of the lgate 18 when it is in closed position.

The trailing end of the gate 18 is flanged upwardly at 39 to provide an end wall lying in the angle formed by walls 37 and 38 of the member 36, thereby preventing leakage and entrance of moisture when the gate 18 is in closed position as shown in FIGURE 4.

At the ends of the overhanging portions of the side members 2t) and 21 there is a connecting cross tie member 4t) of angle shape which holds the frame members 2t? and 21 in spaced relation and also serves as a supporting member for one end of an operating linkage as will be described.

The mechanism for moving -the gate 18 and retaining it in closed position is in the form of linkage assemblies 41 of which there are preferably two for each gate 18. They react between the cross tie member 40 and the gate 18. Each linkage assembly 41 includes oppositely facing pairs of end links 42 and 43 and an intermediate link 44 between said end links pivoted atp45 and 46 to the respective end links 42 and 43. The two sets of linkage assemblies 41 function in unison by means of a rotatable and bodily movable shaft 47. The connection between the shaft 47 and intermediate links 44 is preferably effected by incorporating rigidly mounted arms 48-48, together forming the intermediate links 44, which are disposed in alignment on opposite sides of the shaft 47 and welded thereto at 49, as shown in FIGURE 4, to provide an integrated shaft and arms assembly.

Disposed in lalignment with the `arms 4S are lugs Sil* and 51 respectively carried by Ithe gate and the end cross tie member 46. The pairs of end links 42 straddle the arms 48 and lugs 50 and are pivotally connected to the latter by means of pivot pins 52. Similarly the other pairs of end links 43 straddle the arms 45 and the lugs 51 and are pivotally connected therewith by pivot pins 54. In order to provide a compact construction the links 42 and 43 are recessed at 42' and 43', respectively, to receive the shaft 47 therebetween as shown in FIGURE 6.

The linkage assemblies 41, as formed by the pairs of end links 42 and 43 and the intermediate links 44, cornbine to form a strut connection between the lugs 51 on cross tie member 40 and the lugs Si) on the gate 18 to retain the gate 18 in closed position as seen in FIG- URE 4. The linkages 41, when in locking position, assume a slightly over the center knuckling position with the axes 55 and 56 of pivots 4S and 46 lying slightly to one side and beyond a straight line 57 extending through the axes 58 and 59 of pivot pins 52 and 54. The extent of over center knuckling movement of the linkage is limited by abutments 60 and 61 which are preferably in the form of plates extending between and Welded to the pairs of end links at 64. The abutments 60 and 61 oper-ate to maintain the pairs of end links 42 and 43 in spaced relation. The spacing alignment is further maintained by providing welded connections between the pivots 45, 46, S2 and 54 and their respective associated pairs of end links 42 and 43 as indicated at 65 in FIGURE 4.

The shaft 47 is extended through elongated slotted openings 66 and 67 formed in the webs of members 2t) and 21 and its ends are movable therein. The slotted openings 66 and 67 are tted with upper and lower rails 65 and 69 between which the shaft is held and its ends guided in its bodily movement.

The shaft 47 projects well beyond the outer `side frame member 21 and is there provided with a Y-shaped socket head 7% having oppositely extending openings 71 for the reception of an operating bar 72 at an angle to the `axis of the shaft 47 as seen in FIGURE 3. The head 70 preferably includes two plates 73-73 each of which is bent to present langularly related walls 74 and 75 with the Walls 74 welded or otherwise `secured. to opposite sides of the shaft 47 and the other walls 75 aring outwardly to form part of the walls of the Y-shaped socket openings 71. The opposite walls of the socket openings 71 are formed by another plate 76 bent to angle shape to present angularly related walls 77-77. The edge portions of plates 73 and 76 are united by Welding thereto upper and lower plates 78 and 79, FIGURE l, thereby forming rectangularly `shaped openings.

The gate operating mechanism is retained in closed position by a locking dog 80 which is pivotally mounted at 81 to swing in the path of movement of an abutment plate 82 carried by the shaft 47. The dog 80 and abutment plate 82 are respectively formed with aligned openings 33 and -84 for the reception of a sealing ribbon. The dog 30, when in released position, hangs vertically, -as shown in FIGURE 7, and is readily displaceable by movement of the shaft 47 in a gate closing direction. Upon rotation and movement of the shaft 47 in a direction to close the gate 18, the dog 80 automatically falls into locking position behind the abutment plate 82 as seen in FIGURE 2.

In hopper cars of this character it is customary to provide on the outlet assembly means for receiving and holding a removable extension chute commonly known as a boot (not shown) and to this end grooves 85 and 4 86 are provided on two adjacent sides of the frame 18 for receiving the ilanges of the boot. Outstanding lateral flanges 37 and 88 at the two remaining sides provide ledges for clamping the chute in place.

The operation and advantages of the improvement may be best understood by following out the sequence of movements involved in the operation of the gate 18 from closed to opened position. Assuming that the parts are in position as in FIGURES 2 and 4 with the dog 80 in the overbalanced released position as seen in FIGURE 7, the bar 72 is inserted in one of the socket openings 71 as seen in FIGURE 3. By rotation of the shaft 47 in a clockwise direction the intermediate links 44 are swung to move the gate 18 as seen in FIGURE 5 by reason of the pairs of end links 42 and 43 doubling up to fold over the intermediate links 44. It `will be noted that the direction of the force between the linkage assemblies 41 and the gate i8 is maintained at an acute angle to the direction of movement of the gate 18 as seen at 89. Upon continued rotation of the shaft 47 in the opening direction, the folding action `of the linkage assemblies 4i is continued until the extreme travel of the shaft 47 is attained and the gate 18 is fully opened as seen in FIGURE 6. The closing operation of the gate 18 is a reversal of the opening movements above described.

With the gate fully opened and the mechanism positioned as seen in FIGURE 6 and with the dog 8) in its `biased released position as seen in FIGURE 7, the closing operation is eiccted yby rotating the shaft 47 in an anti-clockwise direction. As the shaft 47 moves in a closing direction it contacts the dog 80. The shaft 47 upon continued rotation and lateral movement in the gate closing direction displaces the dog which finally drops into locking position upon completion of the shaft travel to the position shown in FIGURE 2. This automatically locks the shaft 47 against movement in an opening direction.

In the initial closing movement of the gate 18 there is, owing to the downward inclination of the pairs of end links 42, a tendency to lift the gate 18. To counteract such lifting action guiding lugs 90 are provided on the lower side of the gate 18. These lugs 90 are on opposite sides of the gate t8 in the form of plates secured to the gate lugs 50 and extend laterally to underlie the ledges 27 and continuations thereto as shown at 91 in FIG- URE 5. The ledges 91 are applied for the purpose of maintaining ledges of uniform thickness throughout the extent of opening movement of the gate 18 and lie adjacent to and outwardly of the respective rail members 34- and 35 and lugs 90.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In combination, a hopper having a discharge opening, an outlet assembly including a frame on said hopper surrounding said discharge opening, a gate sliclable on said frame for closing said discharge opening, said gate being movable beyond said opening to an open position, a supporting structure extending laterally of said frame and underlying said gate when in open position, said structure having depending spaced apart walls formed with elongated openings extending generally parallel to the path of movement of said gate, means for moving said gate including a rotatable and translatable shaft extending at its ends through said elongated openings, said shaft having arm means non-rotatably mounted thereon between said walls and extending in opposite directions from the axis of rotation of said shaft, link means pivoted at one end to the distal ends of the respective arm means, one of said link means having its opposite end pivotally connected with said gate and the other of said link means having its opposite end connected with said supporting structure, said link means upon rotation of said shaft in a direction to open said gate being adapted to fold over said shaft in opposite directions and upon reverse rotation of said shaft to move said gate in a closing direction with said arm closed position. 2,859,707 Dorey Nov. 11, 1958 

